Medical marijuana will start being available for patients at state-approved dispensaries beginning today, but not yet in Altoona.
“At this point the Office of Medical Marijuana is crisscrossing the state inspecting dispensaries that are ready to be inspected for approval. The Altoona ...

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A 19-year-old Altoona man accused of beating a fellow Blair County Prison inmate almost a year ago was found guilty Wednesday of simple assault and disorderly conduct.
The jury took about 20 minutes to render verdicts convicting Matthew R. Sander­lin, who was accused of ...

The Altoona Housing Authority on Wednesday adopted a smoke-free policy for its public housing complexes and offices, in keeping with a Department of Housing and Urban Development rule that went into effect a year ago.
Beginning July 30, no one may smoke anywhere indoors at those locations or ...

CLEARFIELD — A Mahaffey woman accused of stabbing her boyfriend waived her right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court in Clearfield County.
Kayce Marie Lee, 31, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Richard Allen Bennett, 58, during the ...

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, a Northern Cambria flower shop got some unwanted traffic, as an allegedly intoxicated woman drove a stolen SUV into the business.
Debra L. Lyttle, 35, of 62 Fulton Drive, Nanty Glo, is accused of damaging a glass door and wooden support beam at Rouse’s ...

A couple accused by Altoona police of abusing a 1-year-old child will face trial
Magisterial District Judge Ben Jones found Altoona police had enough evidence against 21-year-old Morgan K. Porter and her fiance, 23-year-old Devin Lee Heintzelman, to send charges that include felony and ...

BELLWOOD — Bellwood-Antis School District Tuesday received a $500 grant from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for the district’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs.
Bellwood-Antis was the only school district in Blair County to receive the ASME ...

CLAYSBURG — The Claysburg-Kimmel School Board approved a new resolution to oppose an education bill to fund private schools with taxpayer money at its meeting Wednesday.
Board members unanimously voted to support the resolution opposing Senate Bill No. 2, legislation intended to assist ...

The Altoona Zoning Hearing Board on Wednesday granted a special exception so that landlord Jimmy Colombo can use off-site parking for his apartment house on 13th Avenue at 11th Street.
The board was obligated to grant Colombo’s request after finding he met the special exception ...

Altoona police
Jordin Yohn, 20, no fixed address, was arrested late Saturday on the 1200 block of 17th Avenue on a Blair County sheriff’s warrant.
Justin C. Hileman, 34, 3232 Juniata Gap Road, was arrested early Sunday on the 300 block of North 10th Street and charged with DUI, possession ...

Mirror photo by Gary M. Baranec
Altoona Water Authority workers, including Mike Bianconi (left) and Sam Riddle struggle to turn off a 12-inch water main between the 10th Avenue Expressway and Chestnut Avenue at Ninth Street. A water main break Tuesday left area residents were without water. ...

Blair and Centre counties are having their worst flu seasons in at least 13 years, the latest figures from the state Department of Health shows.
The number of laboratory-confirmed flu cases for the season — considered a fraction of the total number of actual cases because many people ...

Altoona businessman Brian Stroh, 43, might have to return to the Blair County Prison to complete a jail term for drug offenses rather than serve home detention after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
The state’s highest court late last week refused to hear an appeal ...

The city and Penn State Altoona are considering a partnership with a San Francisco firm that could rotate this old industrial community a few degrees toward West Coast progressivism, in keeping with economic development initiatives promoted here in recent years.
At a meeting on Monday, Mayor ...

Col. Douglas Mastriano announced his election bid for Rep. Bill Shuster’s seat Tuesday, promising to continue fighting for Americans as he did in the military.
“Like so many other Pennsylvani­ans, I am sick and tired of clueless career politicians enriching themselves in Harrisburg and ...

HOLLIDAYSBURG — As public work on a large-scale sewer project comes to an end, Hollidaysburg Sewer Authority members agreed to petition a lender to expand the scope of work to affect another 30 homes.
At a Monday meeting, authority Chairman Regis Nale described the proposed Pine Street ...

HOLLIDAYSBURG — A demolition permit has been issued to officials of a borough church, giving them permission to raze a former planing mill on Walnut Street.
A permit was issued last week to First United Methodist Church of Hollidaysburg officials, who aim to demolish the former mill and its ...

In preparation for prom season, United Way of Blair County is distributing free gowns, jewelry and accessories to local middle, junior and high school students through the Glass Slipper Project.
“The Glass Slipper Project is a unique opportunity to ensure all young women in our community ...

U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson in Johnstown has dismissed a petition filed by a Hollidaysburg-area man challenging the 20- to 40-year prison sentence he received for killing his grandfather in 2005.
In his ruling last week, Gibson adopted a recommendation by U.S. Magistrate Cynthia Eddy, ...